


Flesh, bone, there is nothing there

by tigriswolf



Series: comment_fic drabbles [273]
Category: DCU (Animated), DCU (Comics), DCU (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dexter, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Gen, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Prostitution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-09-29
Packaged: 2018-04-23 23:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4896769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigriswolf/pseuds/tigriswolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are <i>rules</i> for hunting.  Jason doesn't believe in following rules.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flesh, bone, there is nothing there

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Flesh, bone, there is nothing there  
> Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Sylvia Plath  
> Warnings: AU, violence, death, underage, references to non-con  
> Pairings: OMCs/Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne/Jason Todd  
> Rating: PG13  
> Wordcount: 1570  
> Point of view: third  
> Prompt: DCU, Bruce Wayne+/Jason Todd, Dexter AU. There's rules to what they do and how they do it. Jason's not good at following rules.

After Dick leaves, Bruce decides to travel. He doesn't hunt once in his six-month world tour, so by the time he returns to Gotham, he is _aching_ for it. 

He found Dick by accident, after his parents were murdered as a warning to their boss. Dick, with his dark hair and blue eyes, reminded Bruce of himself. 

But Dick has never had the monster inside, like Bruce. He followed the lessons but he never seemed to enjoy it, or need it. And Bruce loves his son but he understands. Dick promised to tell no one and Bruce believes him. 

Once he's back on Gotham's streets, he pulls on rough clothes and goes walking. He's never sure what will catch his eye, what the monster is hungry for, but there's always something. 

And tonight, he sees a boy (maybe fifteen, probably younger) accompanying a much older man into an alley. The man's hand is huge on the boy's bony shoulder and the boy's mouth is already bruised from a previous encounter. 

The monster growls and Bruce follows them. 

.

Dick had hero-worshiped Bruce. Even when he didn't understand the hunt, he'd willingly learned everything. 

Jason, though—Jason actively fights Bruce. He argues and shouts, even he's clearly trembling in fear of Bruce's reaction. 

Dick had been Bruce's son, adopted at twelve and moving away six years later for college in New York. Bruce had watched him grow, had taught him to enjoy knowledge, had delighted every time Dick found something he liked. Bruce had known, of course, that Dick went from an adorable child to a beautiful man, but it meant only that he kept a careful eye when Dick went anywhere. 

Jason... the first week, Bruce kept him below the house, until he'd convinced Jason it was safe to stay. Jason tried everything he knew to tempt Bruce but the longer he looked at the boy, the more he was sure Jason was closer to ten than fifteen. How long had he been on the street, to be so practiced? 

Jason argues. Fights. Listens and then ignores. 

His first hunt happens when he sneaks out of the manor and goes back to that street corner. Bruce follows and watches and steps in only when Jason underestimates his prey's strength. 

"It's a good first effort," Bruce tells him, gently squeezing Jason's shoulder. "Let's bring him back to the cave." 

.

The older Jason gets, the more Bruce wants him. He does his best to hide it, to take the same fatherly tone he had with Dick. Dick visits during the summer, has a bit of advice that Jason ignores, but he also shoves Bruce into the library while Jason is practicing his knife cuts in the cave. 

"You've had him for two years," Dick hisses. He's the same height as Bruce now, filling out. "He can't even be fifteen yet." 

Bruce opens his mouth and Dick _glares_ at him. "I know you have a monster inside and I love you anyway," Dick says. "But remember what you saved him from, Bruce. There are _rules_ , remember?" 

Bruce nods. Dick leaves him in the library to consider things. 

.

Three years after meeting Jason, Bruce goes on another world tour. He gives Alfred custody of Jason, orders that Jason not hunt while Bruce is gone, and tries to get his head on straight. 

It's a mistake because he comes back to a sullen teenager who has grown nearly a foot in height and begun to fill out. 

.

Jason is not stupid. The night after Bruce comes home, Jason slips into his room. Bruce is awake the moment the door opens and he watches the boy prowl toward him. "What are you doing?" he asks. 

"You think I'm an idiot?" Jason demands, kneeling up on the bed. "I've seen the way you look at me." 

"No," Bruce says sharply. He sits up and slides off the bed. Jason watches him warily as Bruce steps toward him, cups his cheek. "Tell me honestly how old you are, Jason." 

There's a lot he knows about the boy and still more he doesn't. Not even his best man could find more than the fact that Jason's father died in a drunken haze and his mother disappeared when he was a toddler. He grew up on the street and there's no record of a birth certificate. Jason's age has been a guess for three and a half years. It's possible he's fifteen now. 

He still looks unfinished, blinking up at Bruce as his entire body trembles. "You want me," he says softly. "You can have me." 

Bruce has wondered, a few times over the years, what would have happened with his monster if his parents hadn't died when he was a child. He was raised by Alfred and a series of tutors, given everything he wanted the moment he wanted it, and took over the company at 21 years old. He's played a part, pretended to be a fool, giving the board more freedom than his parents had. He watches, though, and if he doesn't agree with a decision, he quietly fixes it. 

(Only one board member has met the monster in twelve years.)

He _wants_ the boy shaking on his bed. Wants to caress him, to taste him, to pull him apart and learn what makes him shudder in pleasure and writhe in pain that he enjoys. 

“You can have me,” Jason says again, turning so that his lips brush against Bruce’ s palm. 

“Go to your room, Jason,” Bruce says as firmly as he can. 

“But you want me,” he says louder, and there are tears in his eyes. “You _watch_ me. Please.” 

“Tomorrow,” Bruce promises, pulling away. “We’ll go hunting. But go to your room, Jason.” 

Jason lunges off the bed and rushes through the door. Bruce slumps onto the bed. 

.

They hunt. Jason tries to be as tempting as possible, and Alfred frowns at them both. 

Bruce brainstorms. 

.

He can’t send Jason away because Jason does trust Alfred. Which means, obviously, that Bruce has to remove himself. 

There are _rules_. Hurting children is not allowed, and Jason—Jason is in his care, under his roof. 

At 34 years old, Bruce takes control of his company again. He spends a total of a month in his manor in two years, and hunts with Jason only three times. He knows Jason goes hunting without him, and he hunts alone. 

Every time he sees Jason, Jason is more gorgeous, more tantalizing. He’s growing into himself, learning what he likes and doesn’t like. Dick checks in and reports back to Bruce; he’s on track to join the FBI and he’s already promised to send certain files Bruce’s way if the justice system fails. 

When Bruce returns to the manor for good, Jason still looks slightly unfinished. He’s not done growing yet but he’s taller than Bruce, now. He stares at Bruce across the dining table, arms crossed, leaned back in his chair. 

“So you’re back then?” he asks, trying to sound unimpressed, like he doesn’t care. But he keeps darting glances at Bruce and he’s just so tense. 

“I’m staying in Gotham,” Bruce says. “You’ll be graduating soon. Where are you applying?” 

Jason scoffs. “I hate school.” He raises an eyebrow. “I’m thinkin’ of takin’ a few fun courses at GCC, just to pass the time. But I’m gonna go hunting, full-time.” 

Bruce raises an eyebrow, too. “That’s a bad idea, Jason.” 

“What d’you care?” Jason demands, jutting his jaw. 

Bruce sighs, pushes his chair back, and slowly circles the table. He gives Jason plenty of time and when he finally reaches Jason, he carefully traces Jason’s jaw, his lips. 

It’s skirting the rules, touching the boy like this. It’s all he can do to not grab him, hold him close, throw him down and _take_. But he knows Jason’s been through that before. His monster isn’t that kind. Jason is trembling, and his tongue darts out, just once, to brush against Bruce’s finger. 

“I care, Jason,” Bruce says softly. And then he turns away, returns to his chair, picks up his fork. Jason is gaping at him and Bruce says, “Eat your dinner.” 

Jason glares but he does. 

.

That night, Jason sneaks into Bruce’s room again. Bruce is sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting. 

“Are you doing this,” he asks, “because you want it? Or because I do?”

“Does it matter?” Jason asks back, standing between Bruce’s knees, hands coming to rest on Bruce’s shoulders. 

“It matters,” Bruce tells him. 

“Bruce, I watched you kill a man the night we met,” Jason says after a moment, not looking away from Bruce’s eyes. “I tried getting you to fuck me for _five years_.” He leans in to murmur against Bruce’s lips, “I want this.” 

. 

There are rules to hunting. Alfred never approves but does his best to help; Dick sends a few files over, when a clearly guilty murderer or rapist will go free. And Jason – 

When Bruce thinks back to the boy he found while looking at the man in front of him, it’s such an amazing change. Jason is taller and broader now; he looks finished, so beautiful, either in the midst of a hunt, blood on his skin, or spread across their shared bed, begging. 

There are rules. Jason smiles down at the boy with a camera full of pictures and then up at Bruce.


End file.
